Heart of Iron
by Cavalyn
Summary: There wasn't even a good reason to get involved in this Sekirei plan. He wasn't an Ashikabi, in fact he wasn't even certain he could love anymore. That future Archer had accused him of seemed closer than ever... but while people still suffered, what could he do? This bloody path I walk, without thanks or acknowledgement, though my heart may become iron, I must never fall to regret.
1. Chapter 1

**Well, it's been a while since I have written any fanfiction, but I was inspired to take up the pen-er.. finger? And write once more. Since comparison will no doubt be inevitable I'll throw this out there.**

**This isn't based on "In Flight." Personally I love the fanfiction, and think Gabriel has a great style of writing, in fact it was his work that made me want to write a FSN Sekirei crossover, despite (and this will sound INSANE) not having watched/played either of them! So yeah… Wikipedia for the win people. **

**I am completely unplanned and open on pairings, though Minato will be a separate entity in this fic, and will have most if not all of his harem as usual. I prefer to write and see what happens, see what bonds and relationships slowly form.**

**That said I hope you'll forgive me for the first chapter. Without a doubt, through all the works I have written… first chapters are my absolute kryptonite!**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

"Rin, yes I'm fine… no nothing is wrong." The tall red headed man let out a soft sigh, tinged with amusement as he listened to the worried young woman on the other end of the line. "The hunt didn't go badly, when I left the Clock Tower were clearing up the remains and convincing the locals nothing happened… yes they _have_ paid me." That had always been a point that was sure to spark her anger… though the Clock Tower had accepted him into their ranks, it had been a rather grudging affair and they weren't above insulting him or _forgetting_ to pay him. He never let the prejudice get to him, but it was amusing how worked up Rin would get on his behalf.

Heart-warming too.

"Actually I'm taking your advice and having some time off…. No, honestly… no, I'm not lying to you. _No_, it's not a battlefield or a disaster zone. I'm genuinely having a holiday, I swear." He wasn't surprised at her questioning or her lack of faith, truth be told this was the first break he had taken in almost ten years since the war. Since Saber… He quashed the train of thought with the skill of one long practiced in the art. _Iron is my blood and glass is my heart._ The aria didn't change him physically, but he felt his emotions instantly dull as his very being hardened towards steel.

Golden brown eyes scanned the people around him, the hard edges softening when all he saw was the common rushed bustle of a typical Japanese town. It would take him a few days to step out of the harsh routine of constantly being in some level of danger, but it would give him some time to relax. An impatient cough in his ear brought him back to reality.

"Sorry, what?" He muttered with a wince, accepting the sudden furious tirade of a woman who had been ignored. "Ah sorry Rin, I'm in Japan, in Shin Tokyo in fact. I thought it might be nice to see what's changed in ten years and maybe get back to my roots." It had been a long time since he had experienced and indulged in the Japanese culture, usually travelling between London and Africa. Rin's next words wiped the nostalgic smile of his face entirely, replacing it with a hard look.

"No. I'm not going back there." There were too many memories, both good and bad, but it was still a can of emotional worms he wasn't willing to open. Idly he scratched at his arm, even after ten years it still felt different. "I've got to go now Rin, I need to find a place to stay… probably a full year… yeah, it would be great if you could come visit some time..." Finally the grim expression fell from his face, though Rin would never admit it, they truly were the best of friends now and he couldn't imagine being without her. "Okay, I love you too." He finished, laughing softly at her angry denials of feeling any such emotion as she hung up on him.

Even after so much time, some things really did never change… such a tsundere…

What he had said was true though, he really did have a few things he needed to do. He didn't have anywhere to live, and while he did have quite a decent stockpile of money to draw on, he doubted he'd be able to handle not working for a year – more for having too much time than finance. His usual undercover role was as a repairman, and he supposed it would work as a career as well.

Shin Tokyo was very different from anywhere he'd been before. Though London was a bustling city, there wasn't nearly as many sky scrapers and roads as there was in Shin Tokyo, and the Clock Tower was located in a pretty old part of the town. Not to say anything about Cairo or Nigeria, where he'd been apostle hunting last… the tallest buildings there were pretty much a single storey. In comparison Shin Tokyo was almost like what New York was rumoured to be, a bustling metropolis where the wealthiest of people slaved away to maintain their lifestyle.

Someone was certainly succeeding, he couldn't help but think with a wry smile as he glimpsed yet another advertisement for a company simply called MBI. At first he'd thought it an advertisement for that movie with the aliens that Rin and he had once seen in London, before scolding himself with a chuckle.

MBI wouldn't find him a place to stay however, and while Shirou wasn't above living a Spartan lifestyle, a hotel room was simply out of the question. For one thing he was going to need the security to perform some small magecraft in peace, without the risk of exposing their secrets and giving the Clock Tower reason to reign him in. On the other hand he'd be damned if he didn't have a place with a good kitchen… this was his holiday damn it, and he would cook as much as he wanted!

Amazingly it didn't take as long as he'd feared to find to purchase a small house in the North of Shin Tokyo, a simple trip to an estate agent and some small proof of the wealth he had at his disposal had been enough for them to set him up in a small property in record time... Ten years ago he'd have been horrified at the waste of money, now he could appreciate the convenience and opportunities behind such a purchase – a qualified magus could always use a few safe houses. Honestly he was still a pretty crappy magus, but no one could be friends with Rin without learning some things, often for their own defence. A few simple bounded fields would keep the neighbours from noticing any strange lights from within the house, and would subtly convince them that whomever lived here had done so all their lives, and was of no real interest. It was easier if he didn't have to go through the motions of working his way into their trust, and the last thing he needed was their bored curiosity as to how a twenty-five year old man could afford such an expensive property.

He'd also managed to set up a few quick adverts for his skill as a repair man on various directory sites. The use of new technology was rarely used within the different divisions of the Clock Tower, in fact by the most academic researchers it was completely scorned. To Magus Killers or those who took a more active role in hunting dead apostles however, it was a complete necessity. You couldn't even really book a flight out of the country without using it after all, and the ability to inspect the terrain of potential battlefields from a safe location was invaluable. Information was power after all.

As he sat down and tucked into the meal he'd had more fun preparing than eating, he let his mind wander over his situation. Ever since _that_ time, he'd been living the distorted ideals Rin had accused him of, moving from one conflict to another in an effort to save the most people he could. Ironically the Clock Tower were quick to snap up his services with explanations of how he could use his abilities to protect people from the dangers that Magus faced. At the moment he was one of the premier hunters against the Dead Apostles and other vicious abominations, flying from battle to battle with little rest between. Despite Archer's warnings he hadn't let himself diverge from that path, and he didn't regret it one bit.

It did leave him at a loss as to what he could do with his spare time however… when that time was so very limited he had enjoyed the chance to relax and cook, even sleep where he could. Now with so much time opening up before him like a giant chasm, he could feel his head spinning as he stood on the metaphorical edge.

_I could carry on my research into my projection abilities… _ He idly mused… Rin would kill him when she found out however. Research was dangerous at the best of times, and with his… stupidity… as Rin termed it, even idle curiosity would often lead to danger. He'd almost killed himself a number of times with his reality marble, before they'd realised the real danger of such a skill… Not to mention the more insidious dangers of the unlimited bladeworks…

* * *

"Matsu is sorry Miya-tan!" The braided hacker wailed as she sat before the pleasantly short landlady. Though a pleasant smile adorned the woman's face, her eyes were haunting. The lingering traces of darkness were almost unseen in the already pitch black room.

"And just how…" the lavender haired woman asked with a short sigh, "..have you managed to destroy the circuits of the entirety of Izumo house, while also costing us hot water?" Inwardly she wasn't truly angry at the childish young Sekirei before her, a little bit of frustration perhaps… maybe even some honest confusion. The simple fact was that she would never cast out any Sekirei. Even though she had forced an image of neutrality upon herself, one could never truly stop loving their family, and that was what Matsu was in some strange way.

It was simply a shame Matsu had inherited the genes for causing disasters.

"Matsu has no idea, Miya-tan! Matsu was upgrading some of her towers and tried to run her new processing units… then everything went out."

"Can you not fix the problem Matsu-san?" She asked while taking a short look about the room. Homura was thankfully out at his job and had mentioned he might not be coming back until the following day. Uzume was sat at the table with a small smile on her face and her mobile phone held in front of her, using the screen for light as she watched the drama unfold.

"Matsu's abilities help with computers and hacking Miya-tan, they don't give Matsu any knowledge on fixing things!" Miya felt that made a certain amount of sense, Matsu was a brain type Sekirei, which was rare enough in itself that there was very little knowledge on what their abilities entailed. But like most Sekirei, her powers were incredibly powerful… yet incredibly specific.

Still, that didn't help them in their current situation. Their food problems had been solved by Uzume who had been willing to go get them some takeout, but it was nearly pitch black now and without any heating they would be in for a cold night.

"Umm… Matsu can find a repair person using the wifi?" The diminutive redhead offered with a nervous shuffle, quickly wincing as Miya's attention shot back to her. A liberal dose of the Hannya had been enough to cow her into submission, even if this had just been a genuine mistake.

"Ara, then maybe you should do that right now Matsu-chan?" A faint sound of clacking emanated about the room as Matsu scrambled away to get her laptop, Miya cut off the technique as she left the room, turning to look at a panicky Uzume. A quick smile seemed to chase away her fear.

"It's like what, ten at night?" The busty Sekirei complained while waving her arms. "Who's going to be available at this time?"

"Oh I'm sure Matsu-san will find someone." Miya soothed, arranging herself so she could sit down and accepting the cup of cool water she was offered. Some nice hot tea would have been wonderful…

* * *

Shirou sighed as he made his way down the road towards his destination, it had been more than a little unexpected that he would find work so quickly, but it wasn't completely unreasonable he supposed. Things broke down all the time, and there weren't many independent repairmen who worked this late at night. He didn't even mind being called out so late, it gave him an excuse to stop thinking about his plans, while also wearing himself out so he could get some sleep. Not to mention he might be able to build up a good reputation. After all it was an inn he was going to visit, and landlords tended to keep in touch with one another, often suggesting service men among themselves based on good experiences.

Thankfully this Izumo House was only about a ten minute brisk walk from his place, otherwise he probably would have gotten completely lost this late at night. The phone call hadn't been all that enlightening to be honest, a frantic conversation from what at first sounded like a young child, but turned out to be a grown woman after a few quick questions. Apparently the electricity was gone, which had somehow taken out the heating as well. Thankfully the woman hadn't asked for advice, because at the end of the day structural analysis didn't quite work that way. He could understand the mechanisms, understood what made something tick… but understanding wasn't the same as knowledge. Thankfully it also gave him the "history" of the item as well… so he could see what it was like when it was functioning, and work towards that image.

As he made his way through the gates and towards the front door of the building he found himself pausing. There was something… off… in the air. The experience wasn't unlike crossing a weak bounded field, a sense of acute unease washing over a person before immediately vanishing, leaving you looking for something that was no longer there. For a person who had been in as much conflict as he had, it was enough to set off his internal alarms.

Taking a deep breath he pushed the feelings under his skin, keeping himself alert while letting a more friendly expression come over his face. One of the first tricks he'd learned from the other hunters and magus killers was that it was always better to be underestimated. It was a lesson that might have served him well in the war… The lack of light coming from within the building only served to make it look more ominous as he knocked on the door.

The face which greeted him both calmed him down, and sent his mind into frantic panic. Small, pretty, lavender, traditional… dangerous. She spoke a short greeting to him which he almost missed, all he could think about was why she was setting off his instincts so badly.

"Ah yes, I am Emiya Shirou, a pleasure to meet you." He bowed in the traditional Japanese style, even as his time in England tainted his manner of speaking. The woman performed a perfect bow in return, her easy grace setting him even further on edge. She didn't seem to have a weapon visible, but that certainly didn't mean she was harmless. Idly he wondered if she was a magus.

"Ara, thank you for coming so quickly Emiya-san. I am Asama Miya, the owner of Izumo house. We're very sorry to call you out this late." She was polite, very polite. He wondered if she could sense that he was dangerous in return, or if she was genuinely like this to everyone. Either way she'd made no threatening gestures towards him, so he would give her the benefit of the doubt, for now.

"That's not a problem Asama-san, I had a free evening." There was a pregnant pause as his usual friendliness struggled in the face of his suspicion. "… Why don't you show me what's the problem?" He added lamely, hoisting up his toolbox of freshly projected tools.

* * *

He was very young, Miya mused to herself as she led him deeper into Izumo house. Though she liked to consider herself a very kind person, she couldn't supress a small amount of scepticism at his appearance. Though undeniably handsome, with a tall and built figure, he didn't look like a stereotypical repairman. In fact she would have said he looked like an athlete, or a fighter of some kind. Perhaps he was a martial artist or boxer in his spare time? Either way, he had seemed unusually nervous upon first meeting her, she hoped this wasn't his first ever job…

"One of my tenants, a young woman named Matsu, caused the problem when she was upgrading her computer. We've tried checking the fuses, but there is obviously something a little more troubling at hand. Our heating seems to have gone down with it… I'm not sure how much you can fix but…"

Well she guessed they would need to spend the night without hot water, there were plenty of public baths they could visit if they had to… though Uzume would need to take some steps to hide her crest.

"Well I should be able to have everything fixed tonight." He asserted confidently, despite her raised eyebrow. That was a very confident thing to say, especially when he hadn't seen what the problem actually was. Her repairs were normally handled by a local gentleman who while very traditional was a hard worker, but he would often need to purchase specialist tools that might take a day or two to arrive…

"This is a really nice place you have here Asama-san." She shot him a look in suspicion but relaxed when saw the genuinely pleasant expression on his face as he looked around. Despite herself she felt a small amount of pride bubble up. This was the home she and Takehito had made together, even though he was gone it felt nice to have someone compliment what they had made together. What would endure, even after he'd gone.

"Yes. It was made by myself and my late husband Takehito." She accepted his polite apologies, despite not fully believing they were necessary. He was at the very least polite, so she could respect that about him. When she led him to the fuse box she was unsurprised to notice Uzume hovering around in the background, spying on the new person who had entered the house. He seemed to notice her and offer a small nod in her direction but interestingly enough didn't let his eyes linger on her. Considering Uzume's somewhat impressive figure… and somewhat scandalous state of undress, she found herself intrigued.

"Do you want to leave me to this while I work?" The man offered, opening up the box and toying around with some of the wires inside. While the suggestion was not a bad one, there really was nothing else to do in the house. It was too dark to see anything, and she could hardly offer him any tea or food…

"Ara, I think we'd best stay by whatever light there is at the moment." She answered, pointing towards the large torch the man had set up to point into the box. It offered a lot more illumination than Uzume's phone did, and as was typical when the lights went out, no one could find a torch. He didn't respond to the comment but simply carried on with his work, talking to himself softly as he did so.

"He's pretty young." Uzume quietly spoke to her as the busty Sekirei shifted to sit by her, the both of them watching the young man work. Despite the stares of two young women on him he didn't seem the slightest bit interested in anything other than the task at hand. Miya found it surprisingly refreshing.

"I have no idea where Matsu found him from, but yes he is rather young."

"Handsome though eh? Look at those abs!" Miya smiled and shook her head as the sekirei spoke in a loud stage whisper, pointing to the visibly toned abs where the man's shirt had ridden up. Miya hid a smile behind her sleeve when she noticed those same abs tighten up, suggesting that the man had heard Uzume perfectly well and panicked a little. She certainly had a gift for teasing young men. She heard him mutter something, though failed to pick it up, but his eyes did turn to regard them both for a brief second before going back to work.

"I thought you were committed Uzume-chan, and to another woman no less?" She made sure to keep her voice a little quieter, so only the Sekirei next to her would hear it. Even when she was certain someone could not hear them she still would refuse to words like Sekirei and Ashikabi. It was one of the reasons why Matsu had been instructed to stay in her room, despite that the man was unlikely to recognise her as a fugitive.

"Hmmm… it doesn't stop me from admiring." The bubbly girl leered, again loudly. This time the red haired man didn't visibly respond to her teasing, despite the gentle laugh Miya let out.

"I apologise for my tenant Emiya-san, she rarely engages her brain." Uzume favoured her with a rather scandalised look, which Miya returned with a teasing glance.

"Ah… it's fine, really." A simple yet unassuming answer. Miya was actually a little surprised the man didn't take advantage of the situation to try and wheedle a date or similar from Uzume, or become embarrassed and stutter an answer. Instead he just calmly and confidently brushed the sentiment aside, like he'd been getting such looks all his life. Perhaps he had, Miya allowed, tall men were rare in Japan and Uzume was correct when she said he was well sculpted. "Ah! I think I've found it." He crowed happily, grinning a moment later when the lights flickered once. Twice. Then came to life with an audible ping.

"Wow! That was quick!" Uzume was quick to cheer, climbing awkwardly to her feet as Miya more elegantly rose beside her. Yes, that had been very quick indeed. She was genuinely impressed at his ability. In fact if he could work the same magic on whatever had caused the heating to fail, then she would keep his number close at hand.

"Yeah it was a pretty simple problem, just reconnected a few wires… you mind if I check the boiler?" The explanation meant nothing to Miya of course, her specialities really didn't lie anywhere in the realms of mechanics or engineering.

"Of course Emiya-san, if you will follow me?" No doubt by now Matsu would have realised the power was back on, and would be watching them through her cameras. She might be able to find her own solution to the heating problem given enough time.

Impressively it took him even less time to fix the boiler, and he hadn't needed to use any other tools than the ones he had brought with him. Even as he smiled and left the building he'd only asked a rather reasonable amount in payment, not even charging extra rates as most would for such a late night job. As Matsu went back to her tinkering and Uzume bounced about the house like a child on a sugar high, Miya couldn't help but watch the tall man as he walked off into the distance.

What a strange man.

* * *

**Well Gosh I still hate first chapters, part of me would have liked to do this all as some kind of flashback, but I personally regard flashbacks as a great evil. Almost as bad as people putting subtitles with songs in, that you're meant to "play" as you read…. Good God no… Feel free to read this to Sonne Ich by Rammstein… it will make no sense, but go ahead.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I can't say I'm incredibly pleased about this chapter either, if I am fully honest to myself. I have some decent plans set in stone, and the pace of the story will soon slow down, as days pass by as entire chapters. At the moment I'm still in the introductory stage, so time needs to pass by as the Sekirei storyline catches up with this. Next chapter should allow me to move onto my original plans properly.**

**Amazingly I've not had any real negative reviews, despite a few warnings on how ferocious type moon fans are. The reason I haven't watched the series is that my internet runs at around 25KB/S… because I live in the middle of the English country-side. It cannot be improved, we've tried everyone. So an anime series would take about 3 weeks to download, assuming the connection stayed stable, which it does not… **

**There have been a few queries about the route… I can only say that it is Heavens Feel, but a variant on the established endings of it, I'm willing to spoiler it for people who feel they "need" to know, but for those who need only some brief confirmation it **_**is**_** HF, just not all stories have good endings...**

**I should also warn that because of my poor internet, my writing tool does _not_ have spell or grammar check.**

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

_This wasn't how I expected to spend my night. _Shirou mused to himself as he stepped back to dodge a decaying claw that would have carved a gash out of his thigh. A quick slash with the blade in his right hand severed the limb as it continued its arc, spraying red blood onto the floor. A quick step forward and a thrust cleaved his second blade through the creature's face, a brutal twist of the blade cracked bone and cartillege aside as he tore the stained metal back out of his defeated foe. Sharp red eyes surveyed the scene about him, lingering over fallen bodies to make sure they were truly dead.

Well... deader... If that even made a difference to the apostles. Ahead of him he could hear more fighting as some of the other agents tasked to the area penetrated deeper into the sepulchre, towards the apostle who had caused this mess, leaving Shirou to deal with the mass of ghouls and living dead alone. He was better suited to the destruction of large amounts of unskilled enemies.

He'd received the call only a few hours ago from his common contact and somewhat-friend Marcus Blanc, one of his colleagues in the hunters. Most apostles prefered to keep themselves hidden as long as possible so as not to arouse their attention... so when reports of sightings of ghouls in Kamakura popped up they were quick to mobilise. Activity near a bustling population centre either meant the Apostles were truly confident of achieving something... or had gone insane. Neither was an appealing situation.

Marcus had known he wouldn't be able to say no, not when there were so many people in danger. _And so many who have already died... _His own tally was over twenty ghouls and five or six living dead no doubt all innocents living in the area who had mysteriously disappeared from the streets. Perhaps they were beggars or criminals or other undesierables who wouldn't be missed. But if this apostle was as foolhardy as he seemed, they could easily have been innocent bystanders. Either way, they were at peace now.

"_Emiya this is M1, we're approaching the target. Secure the perimeter and make sure nothing escapes - over."_ Shirou grunted and pressed the small button on the radio attached to his breast.

"Understood M1." The two nameless blades fell from his grip as the od supporting them collapsed, nothing more than particles floating to the floor as the shape of a bow began to appear in his hands. The hunt was effectively over now, all that was left was to make sure no accomplices managed to escape in the confusion.

Minutes passed as he waited among the disfigured bodies of the innocent, like a statue of some mass murderer posing over his prey. It was the crunch of a bone breaking underfoot that ended his morbid thoughts, snapping his eyes towards one of the nearby crypts. Confidently he drew back on the bowstring, staring down the clean shaft into the darkness. Any of the hunters would have known to radio that they were approaching. A second passed and though his eyes could not pierce the darkness he knew that whatever laid within there could see him perfectly, it was not a peasant thought...

Seconds ticked by as no more sounds came forth, a deep breath escaped him as the realisation that it was a fully-fledged apostle that had come to him. Only they would have the survival instincts necessary to hesitate in the face of a threat such as himself. It was with that knowledge that he released the arrow blindly into the crypt, dismissing the bow and quickly tracing a single straight blade. His weapons might have the power of ages behind them, but an apostle could dodge a bullet after it left the gun, his arrows moved much slower than a bullet.

"Oh is that for me?" A young feminine voice laughed as a girl who couldn't be older than eighteen stepped out of the dark. Realistically she must have been over a century of age and had possibly evolved from a victim so very long ago. Shirou lowered himself into a stance as he kept the blade pointing towards the apostle. He'd learned long ago that gender and apparent age mattered little, he wasn't an amateur to be swayed by a pretty face and an innocent voice. "Nothing to say handsome? I guess all you hunters are the same... so damn boring." She shook her head in a disappointed manner before all traces of amusement fell from her. "Very well, let's end this then."

Even after ten years the speed at which these monstrosities could move continued to amaze him, one moment she had been stood in a casually dismissing manner, and the next she was striking down on him with her hand extended into claws as if to bisect him from head to toe. Taking a controlled step back he swung his blade up towards her hand, the move bringing to his mind the blonde tutor who had first taught him formal sword fighting.

She'd been a heroic spirit though, and the difference between her speed and his showed as the apostle gracefully swayed out the way, tucking her arm into her body as she lunged forwards to disembowel him. He was fatally over-extended and he knew it. The apostle knew it too.

The sound of the impact was not unlike a car crash, metal screeching against metal as cloth and skin gave way but the cold unfeeling swords beneath did not. The moment of hesitation, of complete confusion, was what he had been waiting for. The sword that had been extended skyward reversed and stabbed downwards, piercing between her shoulder blades and driving her flat into the ground. A metal tipped boot smashed down onto the uninjured arm as he leaned down and violently twisted the blade by the hilt.

The corpse shuddered in agony, before going still.

_I am the bone of my sword..._ After so long, some aspects of it could occur instinctively, like a normal person tensing their muscles in anticipation of a blow. The sensation spread quickly through him as emotions and thoughts dulled, his expression falling into apathy as he surveyed his opponent with an emotionless gaze. Over a hundred years of experience, all of it meant nothing because for one brief second she had been caught off guard. It was almost unfair how the world could be lke that...

"Shirou!" The rebuke caught his attention as a grizzled man strode towards him, so the main apostle had been defeated? That was good, he supposed... "Shirou, enough. End it!" The man stopped three feet away from him sparing a quick glance for the unmoving apostle, before returning his sharp gaze to Shirou's. "Snap out of it boy, the battle's over."

That was something he needed to do wasn't it? Before that itching feeling beneath his skin got worse, already it felt as though something was bubbling up inside him. Something important... A quick shake of his head drew his mind back into focus as he took a deep breath, shutting down his circuits and wincing as feeling came back to his body... blood began to slowly seep from the wound on his stomach, but it was torn skin only.

"I'm fine... it just caught me off guard for a moment." He let a wry grin come to his face as he shook his head. The man seemed to look at him for a few more moments before slowly nodding his head, satisfied that he had returned to normal.

"I shouldn't have contacted you about this. You _need_ this time off Shirou."

"It's fine Marcus. I was less than an hour away, is there any evidence there's a cult in the area?" That would effectively draw his vacation to an end, but if the apostles were mustering in force in Japan then.

"No." Marcus interrupted with a firm shake of the head. "No plans, no big evil. Just an apostle gone mad... he was cursing and raving when we found him. We can't even find any notes on what he was up to, we're pretty sure he just went over the deep end." Shirou nodded in response as he finally dismissed his blade, wiping his blood-stained hands on his shirt as he inspected his wounded stomach. The bleeding had already begun to slow down, no doubt from Avalon's help, but it always took a while for wounds from creatures so powerful to fade.

"You get yourself gone Shirou. I can handle the clean up with the others, get yourself to a hospital in that Shin Tokyo place of yours. We won't call on you again."

This wasn't how he had expected his night to go at all...

* * *

"You're lucky this wasn't worse Emiya-san." The white robed man scolded as he continued to tie the bandages around Shirou's waist. The redhead endured it with the patient understanding of a man who'd been in that situation many times before. "I've let the authorities know there's a wild dog on the loose, are you sure you can't remember what breed it was?"

"No. I'm sorry Oto-sensei. It was dark and it caught me by surprise. I didn't expect to come across a wild animal in Shin Tokyo…" Especially not of the vampiric kind, but the man didn't need to know that. Avalon would have been enough to keep him healthy, but the more important thing that was on this day, Emiya Shirou was nowhere near Kamakura. Instead he had been on a night out in Shin Tokyo where he'd been attacked by a wild dog. He trusted the hunters to eradicate whatever traces they could of their hunt, but there was always a chance that some small sign might remain especially with the ever increasing technology available to the police.

"That's understandable, it must have been frightening. Honestly we get some injuries like this but they're usually from overly playful pets." Cold fingers prodded at the wrapped bandage as Shirou made the appropriate sounds an injured person might.

"I think this will convince me to hold back on getting a pet for myself. Will I be okay to get back to work today?"

"I'd really prefer you didn't Emiya-san. If necessary I can provide a note to an employer?"

"That's okay I'm self-employed. It should be on my file." The man took a moment to settle down and work on his computer before typing in a few details. The Clock Tower were very strict on ensuring that all their members were on public databases, at least maintaining self-employed jobs that would let them pass beneath the radar. In today's world missing records stuck out, anomolies were identified and investigated. The nail that stuck out after all…

"Ah that's fine then. You've just come from England? Are you going to be staying here permanently now?"

"Maybe." He admitted with a shrug. "England was nice and all, but I was born in Japan and I always seem to do better for myself here. We'll just have to see."

"Well everything seems to check out Emiya-san." Once more the man rose to his feet and shook his hand. "I've updated your medical record on the system, and the information's going to be passed through to MBI when they take over." That tidbit caught him off guard.

"I'm sorry, what was that last part?" The doctor spared him a confused glance, Shirou forced a polite smile out in an attempt to hide his frustration. "About my records being passed on to a third party, isn't that illegal?"

"I'm afraid I don't deal with that Emiya-san, I can pass on your concerns to MBI directly... I'm sure they would be willing to have someone explain..."

"No, I'm sure it's okay. All for medical science, right?" Though he let it out with a laugh inside he was more concerned. It was one thing allowing his records onto the public database, but they would be used for little else than record-keeping there. As far as he could tell MBI was a medical _research_ facility...it was their job to prod and investigate, and they might be able to find something unusual about his blood or DNA... But if he caused a scene they would only pay more attention to him.

"Well if there's anything else please get in touch Emiya-san. If you need any pain killers please feel free to ask at the front desk while you're paying."

"Of course, thank you again." He bowed as he left the small office, dredging his wallet from one pocket. It was already gone two in the afternoon as they'd needed to perform some tests to look for any infection. Thankfully he'd not scheduled any repairs for the day knowing he would need rest after the night's activities, it was just a shame it wouldn't come in the form of a long sleep.

It shouldn't be such a problem that his information was being passed onto another company. Though the Clock Tower was far behind the standards of current medical science they had conducted very thorough... research... into the genetics of magus. As much as it disgusted him to condone their actions, if there truly was any purely genetic connection between a human and their ability to become a magus, then the Clock Tower would have discovered it by now. There was obviously some form of hereditary connection, it was one of the only ways to explain the increasing number of circuits within the more well-known families, but the actual spark - if one could call it that, could be found in almost everyone.

The real danger might come from the effects it had on his own body... he was still rated as a rather pathetic magus despite his abilities and accomplishments. Many referred to him as an idiot savant, who had only managed to achieve such powerful skills as a result of a terrible fluke. Whatever the cause, his body was not that of a normal twenty-five year olds. Even ignoring the numerous scars of what should clearly have been near fatal wounds, his nerve endings were cruelly damaged from misuse, and his blood had an iron content far too high to be considered healthy... That he could stay standing through such adverse conditions would surely be just the kind of medical anomaly MBI would be looking for...

It was a testament to how lost in his thoughts he was that the first sign he had of someone approaching him was when a dainty finger prodded into his cheek. Reddish eyes widened at the close contact before he stumbled back in alarm, unsure how someone had gotten so close. His eyes settled immediately on the most distinctive aspect of the person before him… it was unfortunate then, that these happened to be her rather sizeable assets.

Guiltily his eyes traced up her body towards her smiling face, the long sideways ponytail of the woman he'd seen on a recent repair job filled his vision. The grin on her pink lips said she knew _exactly_ where he'd been looking.

"Uzume-san?" He hedged, fairly sure he was remembering the name correctly but unwilling to stake his reputation on it. She was the kind of woman that was truly unforgettable, but it certainly wasn't for her name… Her grin seemed to widen into something less teasing at his greeting.

"Well if it isn't the repairman of the night. And I'm surprised you remember me Shirou." He had to fight back the urge to raise an eyebrow at the unimaginative title she gave him, though he was honestly surprised she'd remembered the name of what was effectively a random man. "Whatcha doing at the hospital? Were you attacked by an angry air conditioning unit?"

"Close." He laughed good naturedly as he rubbed the back of his head. He couldn't help but think this teasing must be a core part of her personality, to so easily talk to a stranger like this. "A stray dog caught me across the stomach, I've just had a check-up in case it was infected." He lifted the hem of his shirt to reveal the bandages wrapped around his waist.

"Oh Shirou… not your toned stomach." She grinned as she gave him a sly look, despite her tone he could see a small amount of concern in her eyes. "It really was the only reason we even hired you… what shall we do now?"

"Somehow I'm sure you'll survive." He quipped back with a gentle smile, it was somehow relaxing to talk with someone who seemed to have so little worries. "How about you, you're not hurt are you?"

"Heh, I'm healthy." She bounced in place as she said it, making sure to draw attention to the double entendre she was making. Yes, she certainly was a very healthy girl. Again he dragged his eyes away from her frankly ridiculous bust.

"So if you're not here because you're injured are you perhaps stalking me? Should I be concerned?"

"Heh, in your wildest dreams. I work here as a volunteer. Some of the people in there … well, they don't have much to be happy about." Their quiet banter trailed away awkwardly at that proclamation. Internally Shirou found himself impressed with this young girl… not many people were willing to dedicate their time to others, least of all people as young as her.

"That's really commendable Uzume-san. I'm honestly impressed you'd be willing to do that." Despite his kind words, the young woman's expression only seemed to turn more pained at each word. He looked for something he could say to end the strange silence that had come between them. "Are you finished for the day?"

"Hmm… planning to take me out for a drink?" Her head tilted to one side even as her grin went back into a more teasing quality. Despite the toying quality to her words he didn't hesitate in his answer.

"Sure. Let's get a drink."

* * *

For Uzume, the situation was more awkward than she had expected it to be. Oh she'd innocently flirted with plenty of men and women, but it was always just teasing – she would always be loyal to her Ashikabi. So sitting down at a table being gifted with a meal and drinks by a handsome man was not how she'd expected a quick visit to Chiho to end. _Kazehana would laugh herself under the table at this…_ Despite that, she was surprised to find how easy it was to talk with the man in front of her.

"So how are things at Izumo? I hope you've managed to keep the place in one piece since I was last around…"

"Heh, sorta…" She giggled as she took a quick sip of sake. The two of them had finished their meal a few minutes ago and were relaxing with a small ceramic bottle of sake between them. Normally she'd have been a little suspicious of a guy trying to ply her with drink… maybe it was because he seemed so much older, and more mature, than most men… but she couldn't imagine him coming onto her. He just seemed so… disinterested in her body. "Actually we have two new tenants, and things have gotten a bit insane since they dropped by."

That was one way to put it. Minato and Musubi were pretty fun to watch, but they seemed to have no sense of presence. If something could be broken, they'd find a way to do it. It was fun to act so carefree around them though, even though she knew one day she'd take them out of the game. Her face dipped at that sobering thought, and her companion seemed to catch it.

"Are they causing trouble for you?" She shook her head as she downed another cup of sake, feeling the fiery liquid spread through her body. Normally she only went drinking with Kazehana and they would talk about the Sekirei plan. It was both nice and painful that she could talk to someone who knew nothing about it… in some ways she could be honest…

"Nah, they're okay. It's just a little annoying to see how easy they have it y'know? I mean it sounds bitter, but there's lots of people at the hospital who don't have that same freedom. Chi- one of the women I see there… she's in a bad way…." But it was difficult lying so much to him, particularly with the alcohol clouding her judgement. She hadn't meant to turn this into a rant.

He didn't seem to catch her small slip though, instead he was staring into space with a look she'd seen on his face at the hospital. There was no discernible expression on his face, yet she could sense a small amount of melancholy… or bitterness, coming from him. Perhaps it was the eyes that had tightened slightly… or maybe it was her own weak amount of psychic ability. All Sekirei were to a certain degree empathic creatures, they fed on the love of their Ashikabi in a sense, so it made sense that they could feel some emotions around them…

"No. I know what you mean." The words came out as his face morphed back into a more gentle expression as he took a sip of his drink. For some reason she didn't doubt his comment… still, the conversation was rapidly moving into dangerous waters. She decided to fall back on her default ice breaker.

"So, enough about what's going on in my sordid life. What about yours? You got any special woman we're cheating on right now?" She'd meant it to be funny, meant it to make him laugh or stutter or embarrassingly say that he was single. But the expression that came over his face made her heart fall into her stomach. His face went blank for a second, his reddish eyes seemed to flash with some uncertain emotion before closing softly for a good few seconds. When they opened again they were clear once more, but she didn't miss the quiet exhale of breath he let out. His head tilted to the side as a lopsided smile came over his lips.

"Is that a proposition Uzume-chan? Trying to ply me with drink and take advantage of me?" She choked out a laugh in response but it sounded hollow even to her. _I'm so sorry…_ She wanted to say that to him, but it was obvious the moment had passed, and they would both be expected to act like it had never happened. _I don't think I ever want to see that expression on his face again…_

"You've caught me bro. Guess my plan's bust. You won't escape me next time!" They laughed together, both knowing they weren't fooling the other, but content to follow the motions anyway. Even if it was filled with deceit, she reflected, it was a comfortable time she spent with him. Away from the Sekirei plan, away from Miya and Minato. Even away from Chiho.

It was… refreshing.

* * *

"Ara what is thi- Uzume-chan!?" The lavender haired woman gasped as the busty young Sekirei fell into her arms, for a moment panic reigned in her thoughts before she recognised a smell she would normally have associated with Kazehana. "Oh dear Uzume-chan. Don't tell me you were out with Kazehana again?" That girl really was a bad influence on her younger companion; she would need to take her to tas-

"Not Kzana…" The brunette slurred into Miya's chest. "I was out with Shirou – I liked it – he's fun." The name meant nothing to her for a few moments as she wracked her brain in thought. The only Shirou she knew was the young man that had performed some repairs a few days ago… she idly wondered how the two had come across one another.

"My, my, Uzume-chan. I hope you enjoyed your night out, you'll certainly regret it when you wake tomorrow..." She continued to help her tenant up the stairs towards her room, she didn't quite trust the inebriated Sekirei on the staircase.

"I don't… want him to know… Miya. Please?"

"Ara. Who are we talking about here Uzume-chan?" Surely she wasn't referring to Minato-kun, perhaps she felt he would have some teasing potential on her should he see her like this.

"…he doesn't know bout the Se-sekrei plan. So don't let him know kay?" Miya sighed to herself as she allowed a patient smile to bloom on her face.

"Of course Uzume-chan. We always keep it a secret around strangers though, you don't need to worry." She must have been talking about this Shirou-kun now. Though why she felt the need to even ask was strange enough, Miya would never let anyone know about the plan if she could help it.

"H-he's my fren now… Miya… so can't let him get hurt. Juss a normal guy so no no… stuff." Miya stifled a small laugh as she helped tuck the woman into her futon. Uzume was such an innocent drunk, it was almost endearing in a sad way. The girl really didn't have many real friends… Despite playing the oblivious landlady Miya knew what went on amongst her flock. Uzume kept herself apart so she wouldn't feel the emotional pain of having to fight a close friend. For her to find a normal person to be friends with, who wouldn't be in danger, and who wouldn't be scared or lustful towards her?

"It will be fine Uzume-chan. He's in no danger, right?" Her question went unanswered, the girl now lightly snoring into her pillow. As soon as she had been laid down she had fallen into a deep slumber.

It was time Matsu earned some rent. And Miya had to know more about this man who had forced his way into their lives.

* * *

**Good Lord, I think there were four changes of perspective in there, as well as three time skips… sigh… Still, the foundations have now been laid so the story can begin in earnest next chapter. **

**Pairings are still open, and trust me, that was **_**not**_** an Uzume romance play I'm afraid. I tend to be a very realistic writer, so romance and fights will work around that. Much like how Shirou fought the apostle. At the end of the day Shirou isn't Archer, he can become him, but doesn't have those skills. He also doesn't have the augmentation of a Heroic Spirit or Counter Guardian, so there's no real suggestion that he should be able to react at the speed of an apostle… or a Sekirei. **

**He has to use his other abilities to his best. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey all, thanks for the mostly kind reviews. And sorry for the long update time - I work as a Director for a magazine company and because we close down for two weeks over Christmas, i've been INSANELY busy... as we have to release our January issue "before" the 20th of December (when we close) so we have like two weeks less than usual to get an entire magazine out. Nuts!**

**A few small issues I feel I should clarify. This IS a HF Shirou. Some people have said "You're wrong it's more UBW" All i can say is that it may "seem" that way, but please be patient ;)**

**Also Shirou will be a little bit less powerful compared to Canon - he won't be instant superman. I will clarify though that he is as fast as an Apostle, what occured last chapter was him luring the apostle in by pretending to be slower, ala Archer's fighting style. Also he traced a normal bow, not a phantasm, so an apostle (and a Sekirei) could move faster than that. If he traces a weapon without a name, please assume it acts as a real world equivalent of that weapon.**

**Also I have no spell check... so i hope this reads okay.**

**Sorry for the long note! Hope you all Enjoy! :D - Pairings still open, though some are now planned in.**

**P.s. Doc Manager removes my paragraphing sadly... so sorry there are no paragraph indentations.**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Shirou had always liked forests in the past. This one felt different however. Close, looming branches cut out most of the light from the stars above. Deep clinging vegetation clung angrly at his feet. Even sound struggled to penetrate the heavy silence. Forests were meant to be filled with life. Animals, birds, insects... anything.

This forest was dead. Not in the traditional sense of barren branches and fallen leaves. In fact the trees bloomed heartily in verdant green hues, even vines hung from the canopy as though part of an American rainforest. But while there certainly was life here in some regards, there was nothing else surviving but the plants themselves. Like some apocalyptic future where plants had eradicated all life on Earth...

_"Have you heard about that weird forest just springing up at the park? It's been all over the news." _

He'd thought Uzume was exagerating her tale, a few errant trees or plants overgrowing their boundaries or something similar. Looks like he'd been proven wrong, and yet his suspicions had been proven correct. This was so very unnatural. A magus had to be involved somehow...

Red eyes scanned for any movement before he continued on, cutting aside some low hanging vegetation with the thick machete he'd traced a few minutes ago.

_"I bet MBI's involved somehow... a medical company needs to test chemicals right? And all of a sudden a forest grows out of control. Coincidence?" _

They certainly were involved in some manner. Even as he'd approached the park he'd been forced to hide in an alley to avoid the searchlights being put out by numerous helicopters circling the area. All bearing the mark of the pharmaceutical giant. It was why even now he wore a disguise to hide his features, nothing more than a tight black veil across his lower face, and a hood to conceal his distinctive hair.

Security cameras weren't all that accurate at the best of times. There was little chance they'd be able to identify him. What's more there was even less chance a Magus might be able to identify him - after all, he had no idea whether this operation was sanctioned by the Clock Tower or not... They could very well know, and approve, of this strange experiment.

_"Hey Shirou? ... Don't check out that forest... okay?"_

"Sorry Uzume..." He mumbled to himself as he stepped over a slippery log, though this forest had apparently only existed for a few days, there was already a thick growth of moss across the bark of the trees. As though months had passed within.

_"I don't want you to get hurt is all. And messing with MBI or their experiments can be pretty dangerous. You won't go, right?"_

Plants could be grown given enough time and effort, some fertile land and probably a lot of chemical growth agent... so he wasn't dealing with a Sorcery. Everything was within the realms of technological possibility - which of course meant that it still _could_ be a byproduct of MBI's chemical testing...

Though if that were the case they would have conducted it in their own labs, with their own scientists recording it... not helicopters watching it in a busy population centre!

No. This was something they hadn't been expecting, something unusual that had caught their interest enough to have them monitor it. Something like magic.

And that. Was why he was standing alone in such a place, inviting attack from the enemy in their own camp. It was always best to be underestimated.

_"Uzume, relax. I promise I won't go anywhere near it, okay?"_

What was one broken promise over saving lives? Shirou wasn't going to die here, he was confident in his abilities and experience, so Uzume wouldn't lose the friend she'd latched onto so thoroughy. On top of that the local pedestrians wouldn't be in danger when they walked through the park. Everyone would benefit.

Except the person who had to die of course.

"So are you just going to watch me, or come out?" A grin spread beneath his mask as he shouted the words out. He couldn't sense anyone watching him, but if there was something supernatural causing this, they would have known he'd entered their domain. Ironically if there was no one watching, then no one would know he'd made a fool of himself shouting out either.

There was no response. It was that which tipped him off.

No challenge, no animals scurrying away from his voice, not even the rustling of leaves or vines... which really _should_ be rustling considering the crisp night breeze.

Trees didn't flinch, nor did they still or freeze in anticipation. Those were involuntary movements made by animals and humans, usually on an instinctive level. That told him more about the control at play here than anything else. Whomsoever had cast this magecraft was still in direct control of the terrain, so much so that it reacted to their instinctual movements.

_This could be troubling... I'd expected the forest to be some form of attempt to hide from prying eyes. Or terrain to give them the advantage of knowledge. Instead the entire are is the weapon itself..._ And he was trapped in the middle of it.

"If Rider could see me now, she'd label me a million different kinds of a fool..." But despite that, he didn't feel too concerned. The enemy held all the cards as it were, they had the advantage of terrain and surprise. But hadn't they all? When was the last time the odds had been stacked in his favour?

Od flowed into his legs and arms as he reinforced them to weather the attack, muscles and bones began to harden but did not turn to steel. He would need his wits about him, and his marble wouldn't help with that.

_**"Get out! Monster! Get out!"**_ The voice echoed painfully in his mind, almost like a physical attack on his very sense of balance. His legs shuddered slightly as he tried to block out the noise. Telepathy now as well?

"Are you responsible for this?" He shouted back. Were they nearby? Were they far away?

_**"I don't want to go with you. I won't! Onii-chan, save me!"**_ A wailing keen followed as he grit his teeth past the agony. The plaintative words brought to his mind an image of a girl with red eyes and white hair. Dear sweet Illya had once called him those words, before she had sacrificed herself on the grail's alter.

"Who is your brother? I could take you to him if you get rid of this forest."

_**"The monster lies. Onii-chan I need you, please hurry! Please... I'm scared!"**_ He was getting used to the pain of the communication now, or perhaps this person had simply toned down the level of their attack. Negotiaton was still failing however.

"This forest is a danger to everyone! If you don't take it down then I'll be forced to remove it!" And remove you, he didn't add. Though he couldn't help but think in the silence that passed over the glade, that his unspoken words had been understood nonetheless.

When the attack came, he was prepared. Vines surged forwards like iron whips, approaching from all directions and converging on the spot he had once occupied. A few struck his arms and legs as he dashed forwards, stinging but doing no real damage. The creepers and vines were just that, plantlife. Though they could ensnare and harm him, they were neither bladed nor heavy - meer nuisances.

Spinning on the spot he dashed back towards the gathered vines, they had become tangled where he had once stood, and a few powerful strikes detached the majority of them, instantly robbing the assailant of his first weapons.

It was a small victory, but it did not move him closer to his objective. There was still no way to locate the person at the heart of all this. What's more it would be impossible for him to properly search the area, when the very land itself was doing its best to hinder him. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, while the hay was on fire.

_That said..._ once the hay had burned away it would just be a case of rifling through the ash for the needle. It would be arson on a rather impressive level, but the chances of there being any innocents left alive in this murderous forest was slim to none anyway. The magus or creature causing all this would likely flee the inferno, leaving Shirou to hunt them down at his will.

The plan had been decided. The forest would need to burn, for the safety of everyone. But it would require more preperation than he had at hand. Setting a forest alight wasn't just a case of striking a match against a tree, not in a forest as wet and dank as this. Not to say anything about the possibility that whoever was controlling it couldn't just force the tree to uproot and move away!

Letting out a long sigh. He fled.

No, he'd require some gasoline - easily acquired given a few hours. If he could douse some of the surrounding areas and then set them alight he could surround the entire forest in a ring of fire. With that much going on the chances of the enemy being able to contain it would be realistically low. The spreading of the flames would also be much more pronounced.

A loud creaking anc cracking ahead caught his attention, slowing his inhuman sprint as he allowed a tree to fall in front of him. Impacting the ground with an explosion of bark and dust. So despite the earlier words, this being was unwilling to let him retreat safely? Or perhaps it had senses his intentions - if it was so able to enter his mind and speak directly to him.

Not that it mattered. Falling trees moved at the speed of gravity, and the creepers which fought to catch his feet even now clearly needed some time to be effective. Nature by its very definition was slow and purposeful. Great rocks could be destroyed by flowers, given enough time. He wouldn't give them that time.

Tearing his feet free from a new growth of vines circling his ankles he cleared the fallen log and cut aside another branch seeking to topple him. His speed and balance was beyond that of a normal human, due in part to his constant brushes with danger, but also due to his reinforcement. The greatest dangers for humans in this area would be tripping and breaking their legs, or freezing in fear as the trees killed them. Both circumstances were nearly laughable when applied to himself. A stone structure came into his vision as he approached the edge of the forest, it seemed a residence had been partly consumed by the overgrowth - he wondered what had happened to the people within.

Behind him he could hear the cracking of trees and the swishing of vines, no doubt they felt he was trapped against this sheer building. Even now he was being underestimated... His foot hit the wall as he forced himself up it. Gravity tugged at him as he pushed off the vertical structure, his hand reaching up, stretching. Contact. Calloused hands gripped painfully against the metal railed balcony as he hauled himself up by the power of his burning shoulder blades.

He still had not cleared the canopy. Another powerful leap from the railing gave him the height necessary to grab the next. Japan's need to cram as many people into as little space as possible gave him the advantage - there was little more than two metres between each balcony.

One more leap - two in fact. And he was free. Pausing on the edge of the balcony he looked down at the thick canopy below him, idly wondering whether the attack could continue beyond the boundary of its domain. Apparently it could not. He let a grim smile settle over his features as he climbed the last few balconies onto the roof, pausing on the edge to catch his breath.

He could throw the gasoline down from the rooftops. He would not even need to get close to the forest to make sure he had the recquire-

"No! Fuck!" The curse slipped past his lips as he looked down at the figures below him. There was someone actually trying to enter the forest. A number of people in fact. From this distance it was difficult to make out any specifics, but they were clearly going into the wilderness itself.

That couldn't be allowed to happen. Even assuming the creature within didn't kill them, he would be coming back in an hour or two to burn the place to the ground - and he couldn't spare the time to sift through the forest for these people. It wouldn't take much to scare them off... His foot rested on the edge as he prepared to leap off.

"I'd really rather you didn't interrupt them." Shirou froze for a moment in surprise. Barely half a second later his instincts kicked back in as he leapt to the side, rolling to his feet and holding his blade out flat towards where the voice had originated from.

A man stood there, or so he assumed by the voice. The figure wore a long black cloak, and a veil not unlike the one he wore covered the person's face. Mid-length white hair cascaded about the face, brushing at his shoulders.

He wasn't armed, though that didn't calm Shirou down. Only two types of people approached an armed man with none of their own. A fool, or a confident fighter. Considering this man had managed to sneak up on him, when he _knew_ the roof had been unoccupied...

"Friends of yours?" Shirou stalled, looking for some time so he could analyse the options available to him. Despite the blade between them the man made no threatening gestures. Instead the head simply tilted to the side.

"You're male?" The soft voice seemed genuinely surprised, though Shirou knew his disguise did not show nearly enough gender distinction - why was his gender so surpising?

"I hope you're not disappointed. Or were you coming here to try pick me up?" A short laugh.

"No. Not at all. It's just rare to see another male. You use blades but you're not Mutsu are you? I don't think he'd bother to hide his identity from MBI." The name was instantly filed away in his mind for future reference.

"You didn't answer my question. Why shouldn't I stop them from entering the forest?" Was this man involved with the creature within the forest? Perhaps he was in charge of luring innocents into it for some purpose.

"They're ... friends, I guess. I feel a little responsible for them, so I can't let you attack them. You're here for no. 108 as well, I take it?" Number 108? Another tidbit of information to be filed away, it seemed this man had made his own conclusions as to who Shirou was. If he wanted more information he knew he'd need to play along with the ruse, without making any mistakes.

"I guess so. Are you saying you're different?"

The man took a step to the side, a casual move but Shirou mirrored it opposite him, unwilling to give any advantage away. He thought he could make out a small smile behind that mask as the man continued to circle him, by the time he next spoke they had traded positions. And Shirou realised it was so the man could keep himself between Shirou and those below.

"I'm the Sekirei Guardian, I'm surprised you haven't heard of me. It's my job to prevent people taking her." A pause. "Are you? Winged?"

Sekirei? Wings? The image of a bird came to his mind but he dismissed it quickly, this was fast becoming more confusing than he needed it to be. What's more it seemed he now knew what this man was mistaking him for. A sekirei. Whatever that was.

"Maybe. Are you winged?"

"I guess you wouldn't be here if you were unwinged. Look I'll make it clear, whatever orders your Ashikabi gave you... you might as well give them up." The man's gloved hand came out beside him palm upwards and before Shirou could blink, a huge flame stood there. Instant manipulation of fire!? Without the use of an aria or an incantation? Rin would have been jealous!

Shirou simply found it ironic. Not only was fire the very element which caused him so much pain and difficulty in his life. But it was also the very element he was in need of to cleanse this damned forest. Truly the root was playing a sick joke on him.

"You seem to-" Shirou's words were interrupted as powerful winds suddenly buffeted their position as a helicopter seemed to suddenly appear from below, hovering not thirty metres from them with its spotlight fixed firmly on the two of them. _Damn it!_ One hand gripped at his hood, keeping it in place, even as his opponent's flame was snuffed away.

"Damn MBI dogs!" The man opposite him cursed angrily, but made no move to attack the helicopter, seeming content to stand in their vision. Shirou didn't have that luxury. The longer he remained, the more he risked his identity being found out - and that was unacceptable. With his left hand gripping still at his hood he threw his blade with an angry grunt, before leaping to the side. He heard a yelp behind him, more of surprise than of agony. Clearly the man had been able to avoid it. Sudden warmth licked at his back as he leapt from the back of the building, falling into the dark alley below. Above him he felt the searing warm air pass overhead, no doubt he had just avoided some form of immolation.

The forest would have to remain for now. There was no way he could approach with both MBI and that... Sekirei... there. As he impacted painfully with the ground and took off into the twisting streets, one thing was made certain to him. Those abilities, the speed to evade his attack...

These "Sekirei" weren't magus... nor human.

* * *

Homura didn't bother to chase the Sekirei who had evaded him. That would force them into a fight, and he refused to dance to Minaka's tune. Still... it was strange to see another male Sekirei, and for a moment he felt a strange longing to follow after the man. Slipping out a cigarette he lit it and took a long puff, trying to ignore the unusual tugging in his chest. Perhaps he was simply looking for a person who might understand his situation... though he doubted that Sekirei would be it... clearly he had managed to find his Ashikabi...

As he let the cigarette smoke escape his lips he looked down on the strange blade in his hand. It was weighty and solid, but felt incredibly balanced. After another second in his hand, the entire thing fell to pieces. Disintegrating in particles of light.

Homura took another long drag.

How interesting.

* * *

**Oh Homura gets involved now. We're finally moving into the main Sekirei arc, and we can get some action going on. And yes, Shirou has been mistaken for a Sekirei. Expect a few humourous moments as a result of that...**

**On a side note if anyone in future might be willing to accept BETA-ing, or maybe even just using spell-check! on my work before publication, I would appreciate that. I would also obviously accredit you in the intro. **

**I will have another update before Christmas (or on it, maybe? my gift to everyone?)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi all and merry christmas, this will be my christmas update to you all, a little early but hopefully well received nonetheless! Thanks for all the kind reviews, and the many offers to become my beta reader! I accepted Sir Goidot into the position, so he has spent some time going through this to make sure the spelling and such is up to scratch.**

**A few people commented on the length of the last chapter, so i've tried to make this a bit longer. Please enjoy!**

**Beta: Sir Goidot**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Asama Miya looked about the cluttered room as Matsu typed away at a keyboard. The constant clicking and clacking of the keys allowed a strange calm to settle over her, even as her younger companion toiled away.

"This is literally all I can find Miya-tan!" The childish redhead apologised as she squirmed in her seat before the screen. Ever since the Sekirei had been winged by Minato she had become much more impatient, especially if she was kept away from him. It was almost nostalgic.

"Ara, Matsu-chan. I'm sure it will be enough. Why don't you go see what Musubi-chan and Minato-kun are up to?" A few days ago Matsu would have been horrified at the thought of leaving her beloved computers alone with anyone... now she fled without the slightest care. _To be young and in love..._ As always the bitter feeling of regret and longing grew within her. In a sense she considered herself blessed to be able to feel such an emotion as grief, it was another step towards being a normal human.

_Speaking of humans... let us see what we have about you Emiya-kun._

It had been a long time since she'd felt such interest in another person. Not the romantic sense, nor even the bond between an Ashikabi and their Sekirei. There was simply something about the young man which made her curious, be it his mannerisms or his actions... Even in that brief encounter he had seemed so unlike all the other men his age. Most would call her suspicions paranoia, but her experience in that cursed disciplinary squad told her to always trust her instincts.

The information seemed to start as it meant to go on. Shirou's very date of birth was unknown... a survivor of a mysterious fire which had killed every other person within the area. He had been badly injured but then healed immediately? Then adopted by someone with no hassle or difficulty? The entire document screamed falsification. Carefully constructed lies, perhaps even without his knowledge.

The small details drew her attention. Shirou Emiya had apparently been badly burned and injured, as anyone in such a disaster would have been - only to heal at an unusual rate. There was only one company operating at that time that would have had such experience in medical miracles... and Miya knew they had been testing on the Sekirei at that very time.

Big events and disasters like these were rarely naturally caused. While Earth quakes and hurricanes could cause massive amounts of damage, a fire in such a highly populated area had to have been man-made. With so many casualties the police investigations should have been incredible... and yet there were none... the entire Government had been quick to write it off as a freak accident.

A textbook cover-up. Could the fire have been caused by MBI? Or perhaps by a rogue Sekirei? She knew, had it been the latter, then twenty-five years ago she would have been dispatched to deal with it. Unless of course the Sekirei had torched the area by mistake... if they had turned themselves in the disciplinary squad's involvement wouldn't have been necessary. What was more, Minaka might have swept the matter under the rug without the slightest care...

That was one possibility. Assumptions were dangerous things, and a rogue thought could cause more harm than good. The MBI might simply have used the opportunity to test their medical technology on the boy - after all, he would have been a ward of Japan, free to be experimented upon as long as the results were good.

Whatever the case, the result was that Emiya Shirou had been under a new hand, and very little was known about his father.

_Another suspect... you cannot adopt without significant investigation. Why was this Kiritsugu allowed to take Shirou straight from the hospital?_

After that things seemed to have gone normally for the young man. He had gone to school and led a normal life, even after his adopted father had died. It was suspicious that he had rarely ever suffered from sickness or injury however... All humans caught some illness in their lifespan... only Sekirei were truly immune to disease.

But all 108 were accounted for. She shook her head to dispel the thought, truly she was thinking too deeply on this. Perhaps his immune system had been bolstered by whatever operation MBI had performed on him... the company would be interested in monitoring his progress and would have vaccinated him against all common diseases. Their technology was certainly advanced enough to keep a young man healthy.

Miya's musings were cut off by the sound of an explosion and shouting within the inn. Letting out a suffering sigh she rose to her feet and quietly left the room. The shouts and accusations weren't what would normally be associated with danger and battle, besides, she would have sensed had someone with such a malicious presence approached the inn. No. It would be the same silly problems that always seemed to happen since Minato and his harem had arrived.

Things were certainly more exciting.

"Ara, what have we here?" A low amount of steel crept into her voice as she surveyed the small, fist sized hole in her wall. Minato sat on the floor, a look of mild horror plastered on his face. Musubi stood nearby, her clothing somehow damaged and revealing more skin than what was strictly proper. As always Uzume stood close by, an expression of glee lighting her features as she watched the carnage unfold.

A sudden idea came to mind, a problem that could be so easy to fix…

"Uzume-san. It looks like we're in need of some repairs, would you please get in touch with Emiya-kun and see if he can come down and lend a hand? We can have him stay over for dinner afterwards as thanks. Meanwhile I have some… miscreants… to punish." Her aura began to darken as the people before her started to panic. She was so used to everyone following her suggestions that when Uzume spoke she dropped her threatening aura in surprise.

"Uh… does Shirou have to come here?" The buxom girl seemed to look a little guilty even as she said it, circling her foot on the floor. Minato and his Sekirei froze, as if seeing a potential saviour.

"Uzume-san?"

"It's just that I don't want to involve him okay? He's a friend and he doesn't need to get caught up in this madness. So can't we just get someone else to fix it?" Gone was the usual teasing voice, now replaced with something Miya hadn't quite seen before. She knew the woman was too proud to beg, but this was getting dangerously close to that.

"My my Uzume-chan. I didn't realise you were seeking to keep Emiya-kun to yourself. What would your Ashikabi think?"

"Miya… please, I'm serious!" Oh my, it was worse than she had first suspected. Most Sekirei were firmly bonded and aligned to their Ashikabi and generally didn't care about anyone other than that person. Uzume's case was a little unusual as she didn't live with her Ashikabi. Oh, of course Miya knew who it was… Matsu was able to get information on almost anyone Miya needed, and one could never be too careful when it came to her Sekirei boarders.

The situation with Chiho Hidaka would no doubt leave Uzume feeling very vulnerable about her future. Considering the short amount of time she would be able to spend with her Ashikabi, it was really no surprise that Uzume would seek companionship somewhere else, in someone who she wouldn't have to possibly fight and kill later on…

"Uzume-chan. Why don't we talk in the kitchen?" At least somewhere where the watching crowd would not be able to listen in on what was clearly a private matter. Miya saw no problem in the young Sekirei being so involved with the repairman, in fact it might do her well to have someone to speak to outside of the game. As the two of them entered the room and Miya closed the door behind them, the busty Sekirei broke the silence.

"Miya, I'm sorry! It's jus-" Miya held up a dainty hand to interrupt the brunette.

"It's only polite to allow the host to apologise first, Uzume-chan. I didn't realise how involved you were with Emiya-kun. I can understand why you would want to keep him safe from the Sekirei plan. But do you really think that's for the best?"

"Better than putting him in danger!" An angry snarl came to the girl's lips for a moment before she quickly covered it. Miya raised an eyebrow in silent question, but didn't comment on it.

"What I mean is that you can't keep him at arm's length forever. When I… when I first started living with Takehito, I had to begin the process of becoming human."

"We're not like that Miya!" The girl objected. Miya rode over it.

"Whatever the relationship Uzume-chan. Emiya-kun is a human, and he's going to expect his friends to be human as well. If you keep trying to keep things from him then you'll simply push him away to the point he stays away. If he feels he can't get close to you, then what will keep him around?"

It felt wrong to say those things. A callous person would have thought she was saying them to just to convince the girl to allow him to visit. The truth was that Miya viewed all her boarders as an extended part of her family. Their well-being was important to her, as was their continued happiness and safety.

Still, as the girl before her seemed to wilt, she couldn't help but let out a small sigh.

"Ara, Uzume-chan. You haven't lost his friendship yet. So why feel bad over what might never happen? We will both have strong words with the others as to how they should act." Miya had no interest in involving a stranger in the Sekirei plan either, and the only real danger in blurting out their secret was going to be Musbi-chan… but what a danger she would be!

"Okay Miya… I'll do it. But I hope I don't come to regret it."

As the brunette flounced off, looking caught halfway between resignation and indignation, Miya couldn't help but smile like a proud parent. She had long ago refused to involve herself in the Sekirei plan, but it was nice to help in what little ways she could.

* * *

It had started simply enough... head back to the forest and see if that flame Sekirei was still around. If he was, try to find out some more information about him. Even when the man was making a number of misassumptions about Shirou's nature, he would cater to them if he could find out more about these Sekirei and what kind of threat they posed to humanity.

In the event that the flamed one wasn't still guarding the forest... then burn it down, as per his original plan.

Things hadn't taken long to start going wrong.

The first sign should have been the forest. What had once been a verdant jungle had been reduced to little more than a few dead leaves and a large amount of wet slush. The entire area had literally been removed.

Had it been MBI who had dealt with it? They had certainly seemed concerned enough with what was happening and might have taken steps to protect the people in the local area. Clearly they hadn't used fire - there was neither enough ash, nor the evidence of scorched earth.

Could it be that MBI acted in the same manner as the Burial Agency? Controlling and monitoring these Sekirei as the former did towards apostles? It seemed possible, and yet somewhat unlikely... that helicopter hadn't sought to attack them and a company as powerful as MBI would surely have the funds for helicopter ordnance.

Whatever the cause, his one major lead on what was going on had been denied. In an effort to find some kind of clue he'd quickly scaled a nearby building to get a lay of the land.

That was when his current problem had occurred.

"Stand still, damn it!" The blonde one screamed angrily as her whip lashed out towards him. A simple step to the side let it crack angrily into the concrete roof beside him, chipping stone and flinging dust into his eyes. It was fortunate he'd chosen to dodge that the first time - obviously this weapon was more than it first seemed. His opportunity to counter was stolen as he dodged backwards, avoiding the small icicles which smashed against the ground where he had before stood.

Two women. Presumably Sekirei, and so clearly hostile. Their teamwork was nearly non-existent, and yet in their own crazed style, they managed to cover each others' backs. The brunette ice-user seemed to be the more dangerous. Long range capabilities aside, she had a much more patient and calculating attack style. Every time he'd dodged the blonde's attacks and prepared to counter, she was there - denying him.

"Why are you attacking me?" He asked, his voice coming out muffled thanks to the same costume he had worn the day before - but still clearly male. The question only seemed to make the blonde angrier.

"You'll serve Mikogami-sama damn it. Stop delaying matters!" The whip lashed out once more, and this time he stepped in and under the attack, before slashing with the short kodachi in his hand to sever it. There was a screech of meeting metal, but the whip held true. A moment later another torrent of ice swathed towards his position, forcing him to abandon the blade and leap to the side.

So they wished him to serve another? Another Sekirei perhaps, who considered himself in a position of power? Or something more sinister?

"And why should I serve him?" One hand reached within the folds of his cloak before tracing a European short sword, making it seem as though it had always been hidden there as he drew it. A stronger, wider blade would serve more effectively against the flying ice shards.

"Tch, you won't have a choice when Mikogami-sama wings you!" There was that term again. Winging seemed to suggest a sense of servitude, no doubt something to be avoided at all costs.

"Have you nothing to add ice maiden?" If he could somehow rile her up, make her lose her focus...

"Mikogami-sama has ordered us to capture all unwinged Sekirei. That is all." Was that calm or complete apathy?

"And if I've already been winged?"

Another barrage of icicles slammed into his position, one of them actually managing to catch his arm as he weaved among them, cutting through both his sleeve and a tiny portion of the shroud of Martin... that was always an option, if things became so desperate.

_I'd rather be defeated than unveil that... at the least I know they want to capture me alive._

"If you'd already been winged you wouldn't be wandering out here alone, would you moron? Besides, we either capture you to be winged, or you're taken out of the game for good. Mikogami-sama will be pleased either way!" The whip lunged towards him again, and was avoided as per the last fifty times she had struck. A whip was an unconventional weapon at best, and the blonde obviously knew she'd be at a disadvantage in close quarters combat with a blade user. That left her attacking from mid to long range, with a weapon that telegraphed her moves massively.

Again if that damned ice user wasn't there...

"I'm starting to get tired of hearing that name." He grunted out as he traced a small knife with his left hand, drawing it out and hurling it towards the blonde with incredible speed. His eyes narrowed as he observed the twin reactions. An ice wall sprung up before her, taking the knife to the middle and halting it - but even beyond the ice he noticed the blonde had moved fast enough to dodge it.

_Their speed and reactions are impressive. And these abilities... magecraft can cover a range of elements but there's always an incantation required..._

Another whiplash cracked down before him. This battle looked to be going the route of attrition, but surely generating that ice and attacking so heavily would tax their reserves long before his short movements and dodges would his own?

_The male Sekirei wielded fire, but didn't appear to have any other weapons. The blonde uses a whip and seems quick on her feet... while so far I've only seen the brunette make use of ice shards..._

A pillar of ice shot up beneath him, nearly severing his leg at the knee had he not heard the cracking of concrete.

_Okay, manipulation of ice in a number of ways... is she limited to ice as an element?_ _Could a Sekirei be a form of elemental?_

The evidence certainly seemed to point towards that. She also didn't seem limited to manipulation in her hand or any physical part of her body. While the flame user from the other day had summoned a flame within the palm of his hand, this one was constantly summoning ice a few feet away from her body. A water source didn't seem to be necessary either.

The blonde, on the other hand, was deceptively simple. Fast reflexes, a high level of strength and some kind of powerful weapon. If he hadn't known better he would have wondered if she was a Servant...

"Is running away all you're good for, idiot!? Why don't you stand and fight!" A horizontal attack this time, Shirou made sure to roll to the side as he ducked beneath the blow, preparing for the icicle rain which for once didn't rake his position. Perhaps she was beginning to tire?

_Running away would be a wise choice... but the moment I turn my back on them I risk being impaled. What's more there's no safe haven to run to, and they're clearly going to follow me..._ The only option was going to involve murder.

Ice wouldn't be able to pierce him if he turned his muscles into blades, perhaps if he kept the Marble going for the shortest amount of time possible... Generating some distance between them Shirou grit his teeth angrily and spread his arms to the side.

"I am the-"

"Shit! No way?" Shirou paused in his aria not understanding their reaction, he hadn't even begun to activate his circuits and as such there shouldn't have been any changes to draw their attention... yet the blonde looked positively terrified and even the brunette had taken a step back in emotionless concern.

"Oh, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

_MOVE!_ Instincts kicked in with the force of an explosion as he threw himself into a diving roll, coming up so he could keep his eyes on the two attackers as well as the person who had managed to sneak up on him so effortlessly.

Grey coat, grey hair. Power. For a moment he thought his eyes deceived him and the man from last night was here in a different form... but this ... presence... the sheer amount of murderous power... it was as if he stood before Assassin once more.

And yet he was facing a slim woman. The grey hair pulled back into a single long ponytail, with bangs framing the face. Her eyes looked lidded and tired, and yet they were so sharp and focused on them all. Her entire posture screamed lazy and slouched, yet deadly. Shirou couldn't remember ever seeing such confidence from a person. Even Lancer had kept a combat stance, even when attacking a young school boy...

Shirou's trained eyes noticed the small details. She wore her grey coat over her shoulders and arms, hiding them from view and ensuring those telling muscle movements couldn't be seen. Her short skirt rode above what could be considered decent, and yet would afford her a full range of movement at the cost of some modesty. He could make out the hilt of a single blade, a katana handle, but much too long. A nodachi perhaps?

"N-no way. The Black Sekirei!?" The blonde seemed paralysed for a moment before she licked her lips and backed away. The whip was kept ready but the Sekirei seemed far more focused on retreating from the battle than making use of it. Shirou too took a step back.

"We need to retreat." The Ice-wielding brunette intoned, suiting her words to actions as she quickly leapt away, apparently content to leave her companion to her fate. The blonde followed a moment later.

Shirou made to run as well.

The slight flash on the edge of his vision saved his life. His blade caught her lunge and deflected it to the side, the sheer force behind it almost making his arms buckle as he grunted and was pushed back. Even as her lips widened into a feral grin he considered her attack. The strike would have impaled him through the right shoulder, a purposely non-fatal wound that likely would have pinned him against a wall.

She'd drawn her blade and attacked without making the slightest noise.

"Where do you think you're going?" The words, so softly spoken, made him shiver.

"I have no reason to fight you."

"I _want _to fight you." There was a certain amount of emphasis put on the word, as though saying it not only was reason enough, but that she had desperately been waiting for this moment.

The Black Sekirei, they had called her. Probably not just a reference to her clothing, her aura was certainly a dark one. Shirou had never truly believed in the ability to read people by their aura... but it was the only word he could think of to explain the sheer feeling of ... violence... he felt about her. It was as though she was looking down on him from a great height, as though he was nothing more than a toy to be played with and discarded...

Her nodachi reversed and locked against his blade from the side. Blade locks were normally fought face to face, and yet she somehow had the upper arm strength to fight him without the weight of her body. Shirou frowned as he fought to keep the keen blade from his flesh.

"Who are you?" He couldn't help but gasp out, looking to stall what time he could. His foot lashed out in an attempt to shatter her kneecap yet in an impossibly fast move she disengaged and leapt away, her coat disguising her upper body movements on the exit.

Shirou used the space to begin pumping od to his limbs, reinforcing them as much as he could without delving into his cursed Marble. He had fought the others to a standstill using just skill and patience, but this foe required so much more...

"I am number four, Karasuba... but you don't have a number do you, Mr. Mystery Sekirei?" His eyes widened, she knew of him? "Oh why so confused, you must know that MBI recorded your little spat with number six? Another Sekirei disguising himself... and not even MBI can figure out which one he is."

So MBI _was_ involved with the Sekirei... and this woman was involved with MBI. Shirou was no stranger to the concept of hiring monsters to face monsters... the Burial Agency had done so before... he wondered what form of control they had on such a rabid animal though.

"So you've been sent to figure out which I am?" He baited while looking for a potential exit.

"No." Her answer made him pause, _What!?_ "I was simply bored and wanted a fight. But it's strange to think a filthy little _human_ could give me it."

How had she known!? It changed little, as long as she never found out his true identity it wouldn't matter if MBI knew he was human, or continued to assume he was a Sekirei. Unwilling to be placed on the back foot again he leapt forwards, swinging his blade in a heavy overhanded strike while pouring od into his arm muscles.

The grin didn't fall from her lips as she reversed her grip and blocked the attack from above, her unwieldy blade held steady, despite the awkward grip. Shirou's other hand shot towards her abdomen, open palmed.

Iron, carbon, he visualised the fires that would have created it even down to the leather grip that would sit in his hand. Od flowed from his fingers as the tanto formed from nothing in his hand, plunging towards her stomach in a move that would surely disembowel her. Grey lidded eyes widened in shock as the insufferable smile finally slipped just a little.

The tanto didn't find the soft flesh it sought. Instead the woman twisted her body to the side, dodging by only a few millimetres before disengaging and stepping backwards a foot. Her blade drew across her body before flicking out towards him once more, only to rebound from the tanto he braced against his forearm. That grin came back.

"That's an interesting trick Kuro-kun. Do you have any others?" She didn't give him a chance to think of a reply, striking again but keeping her attack measured in case he summoned something with more reach. The Tanto dropped from his fingers as he gripped his sword in two hands to block the blow. Even then his feet slipped backwards a few centimetres.

The next blow came again with startling speed, pushing him further back before he could mount an effective counter attack. Each time he parried or dodged a blow she struck again, before he could think of some effective means of combating her. The long-bladed nodachi should have required more time and space to strike!

It wasn't the style of combat he was used to, or preferred. His mind was constantly focused on where her next attack might come from, analysing the trajectory and power behind each blow, leaving no time to find weaknesses in the style. Such an aggressive stance would leave the attacker with open defences, yet her reactions were much too fast for him to take advantage of it. His Marble seemed miles away, there was no hope in achieving a ten count aria, and he'd need to lose his cloak to get at the shroud about his arm.

Instinctively his body slipped back into that cursed style Archer had mastered, and he had bastardized. Almost instantly her attacks moved towards those openings, giving him a few brief seconds of automatic blocks and dodges.

Her speed was incredible, but as far as super-human beings went she was only moderately stronger than him when he was when reinforced… With a high quality blade, and her extended reach, her speed would be more than enough to deal with most enemies she would face. His eyes traced her next strike as she went in towards his left ribs, his blade rising to knock it aside.

Her smile widened, showing teeth.

The blade changed directions impossibly fast, reversing and striking upwards across his face, cutting the veil from his cheek and splashing blood across his vision. One eye instantly closed to stop blood from seeping in, even as he ignored the pain and struck his own counter-attack driving his sword towards her shoulder blade.

Grey mixed with red and black as his blade sank into the coat the woman wore, the telling resistance of flesh giving way was absent from the attack, telling him she'd managed to distort his aim with her damned coat. His depth perception from his closed eye wasn't helping matters.

One dainty hand freed itself from her blade as she swung it over his own, tossing another sleeve over his blade as she twisted her body, tangling his sword in the cloth and wrenching it from his hands. By the time she had finished her spin he was already three metres away, two short katanas forming in his hands.

He could taste the blood on his lips as it streamed down the left side of his face. The cool air on his skin let him know his veil had been ruined, probably her plan from the start. She was toying with him, he had known that. Her blows had been measured and the cut on his face really ought to have been a decapitation.

"I prefer you like this. The blood suits you."

"You saw through my style." He answered back, stalling for time as he wiped at the blood obscuring his vision, making sure to keep her in sight.

"It wasn't hard Kuro-kun. I'll admit-"

**_Briiiiing, briiing!_**

The two of them froze as the sharp sound assaulted their hyper sensitive hearing, echoing over the abandoned rooftop. Cursing, Shirou looked down at his vibrating pocket. Now of all times?

"You can answer that Kuro-kun. I won't kill you… _honest._"

She was more like Lancer than he had first realised, a woman who enjoyed bloodshed… it honestly wasn't as rare as it sounded. He'd met his fair share of people like her, though most of them weren't human…

Keeping one eye on the grinning maniac before him he brought the small mobile phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

_"Shirou! It's me, Uzume. You alright?"_

"I'm busy now Uzume. Can we talk later?" The words came out sharper than he'd meant them to, and he could hear the intake of breath on the other side. A small twinge of frustration worked its way into his heart.

_"Ah… yeah… I mean…"_

"Sorry. I'm just stressed Uzume-chan, I'm not angry. What's up?"

_"Well can you come to Izumo House this evening, like six? We need some help, and Miya says you can stay for dinner… but if you're busy I unders-"_

"No, that's fine. I'll come over later. I have to go now, see you later Uzume-chan." He hung up without waiting for a response. He knew he'd regret agreeing to that later, but he didn't have the time to deal with his friend in the middle of a battle. His red eyes scanned back to the woman who'd attacked him, only to widen in sudden panic at her absence.

His body stiffened as two arms wrapped around him from behind. The grip was as strong as steel, yet she didn't run him through. With her body firmly pressed into his back the only way he'd be able to strike her would be to cut through his own spine. The two blades dropped from his fingers as he reached up to grip her forearms. The scene might have seemed romantic, if not for the streaming blood and discarded weapons.

"A girl might get jealous if you're talking to another in front of her." She whispered warmly into his ear. If he was to trace a blade within his own body, he would be able to make it erupt from his back and into her body. It would surely kill her.

It would also kill him.

"Well you have my undivided attention now." If he felt she was going to kill him, he would take her down with him. But if she truly _was_ like Lancer… then she would appreciate the joy of a good chase… possibly enough to let him go this time.

Lancer would spare a person who was interesting enough, who might put up a fight later. But the spirit had been easily bored with people who acted predictably. He could only assume she would be the same.

"Hmm… I think I might have to punish you actually." One hand traced up his shoulder as her fingers stroked into his blood. Shirou supressed a shudder.

"Will I enjoy it?" She laughed.

"I was right Kuro-kun… you _are_ interesting! It's just a shame we're to be interrupted so soon." He raised an eyebrow at her words, not understanding the meaning until a few seconds passed. A distant thrumming made its way into his ears. Helicopters, _again… _Had she called them to their position, or were they coming to see what the ruckus was? Whatever the result, he couldn't stay here, not when she'd revealed his face for anyone to see.

She was distracted. One hand stroking his bloodied face and her eyes on the approaching helicopters. With a sudden surge of movement he was able to break her one armed grip, stepping away from before turning to defend himself. Once again her nodachi was held in one hand, but she made no move to attack him.

"Will you let me escape?" He asked simply, with her speed it would be suicidal to show his back to her. She could still hamstring him and keep him alive.

"What will I get in return, Kuro-kun? Disobeying orders could get me in a _world_ of trouble…"

"A battle? I'll make sure to improve my skills to take you out." It was what Lancer would have wanted… but she just laughed in amusement, actually bending over one arm as she sought to control her humour.

"Oh Kuro-kun, you don't know how to talk to a woman, do you? I'd get a fight out of you right now if I attacked you. You'll have to try harder than that." The approaching helicopter was getting closer, just the one – but without his mask he'd be at serious risk of being captured.

"What do you want? I'll do it." Her laughter stopped as she looked at him, he didn't think it possible but the smirk that came to her lips seemed even crueler than before.

"A kiss." _What!?_ He took another step backwards, his eyes narrowing at her.

"Pardon?" He asked with heavy skepticism. Shirou wasn't innocent, not after the Grail war - first there had been Saber, and even Sakura. It wasn't the thought of kissing this undeniably beautiful woman which made him pause.

It was how close such a move would bring him to her. How undefended he would be. How undefended _she_ would be. Would she strike him down? Should he strike her down? There was far too much danger in such a move. He hesitated.

"It's pretty simple Kuro-kun. I want a goodbye kiss, then I'll let you go."

Red eyes moved between her and the enemy, they were too close, there was no time to even think about it. Cursing angrily he shot forward, gripping her shoulders tightly so he'd have some warning if she chose to attack him. Her lips curved upwards as he moved in towards her, ignoring the blood between them.

"HYAHHH!" A flash of pink at the edge of his vision, falling towards his position like a comet. Their lips no more than a few centimetres apart, he pushed the black Sekirei away, leaping backwards to avoid the new attack. Something crashed into the position they'd both occupied, kicking up a storm of dust even as the entire roof shook and buckled in agony.

Shirou didn't bother waiting to see what it was. The dust was obscuring everyone's vision, it was his only chance to escape and he would take it. Even as he dived from the rooftop and vaulted over a hanging balcony, his tense shoulders anticipated the sharp stabbing pain of a nodachi.

It never came.

* * *

"I nearly had him! He was about to attack you, that bastard!" The short pink-haired Sekirei shouted in anger, smashing one fist into her palm as she stormed towards her. Karasuba's eyes narrowed in silent anger as she considered the short woman before her.

"Are you suggesting I was about to lose, fool?" She spat the words out like ice, causing the younger Sekirei to cringe backwards and hold her gloves hands out between them.

"No, no, of course not." Karasuba turned away without responding, unwilling to waste her time on the pathetic Sekirei behind her. Truly, this new discipline squad had _nothing_ on the old incarnations... none of them were as entertaining as _that_ woman. The helicopter continued to circle above them looking for further evidence of the young man she'd fought, not that they would find him. Useless humans.

A grin came back to her features as she looked down on her finger, smeared with his blood. She brought it to her lips and smelled it, before sucking the blood from the digit. He tasted good. Kuro-kun really was an interesting human. Killing him would be glorious. First Musubi-chan, and then Kuro-kun...

"D-did you find out which Sekirei he was?" The annoyance asked. Karasuba paused as she considered her options, before smiling once more. The discipline squad dealt with Sekirei.

"No. He was unwinged though, tell Minaka." Knowing that eccentric fool he would broadcast that information to every Ashikabi in the city.

_I wonder how you'll handle all the attention Kuro-kun... will you cover the city with blood?_

She couldn't wait.

* * *

**I'm sure there are more than a few people pleased to see the above person making an appearance! She is a favoured character of mine in the series so rest assured she will play her part. To the one reviewer who asked whether Rin will be included (in a meaningful manner) in this fic. I will simply say yes. But refuse to give further details.**

**I hope to have another chapter up perhaps just after the new year, until then please drop me a review. :)**


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